Mara Cheetah Conservation Project

The fastest animal on earth is running a race for survival. Their future lies in human hands. Your participation can help!

Project partners:

Kenya Wildlife Service(KWS), International Foundation of Animal Welfare(IFAW) & Basecamp

Background: 

The population of cheetah in the Masai Mara is rapidly going down.  In 2000 Angela and Jonathan Scott reported 60 individuals inside the reserve and the surrounding group ranches. Until May 2002, a total of 40 individuals were found; showing a  decline of more than 30 %. 
The primary aims of the first phase of the project was to establish the present cheetah population in the Mara,  gather information about what was threatening the cheetahs and suggest measures to counteract the problems.

Aims:

To evaluate the status of the cheetahs in and around the Masai Mara to determine the steps needed to secure a future population in Kenya.To seek and understand the effects of tourist interactions with cheetahs and other  wildlife.

Project sponsorship and participation

When on safari, your information can help!  Talk to your tour guide driver if you wish to participate in our cheetah research.

If you spot a cheetah while out on safari, please act as follows:

1. Respect the animal and do not approach too close,  never any closer than 20 metres. 
2. If there are other vehicles, please wait for your turn. Never stay for longer than 5 minutes.
3. The cheetah only hunts during the day. If surrounded by many vehicles they are unable to hunt, and their cubs are exposed to predators.
4. Do not disturb the animal. They are very sensitive to noise and interference by vehicles so please keep your voices down. Make sure the driver turns off the engine.
5. Note the date and the location of the cheetah sightings! Check with your driver for an accurate position. Prepare to mark the location at our cheetah distribution map on camp when back from safari.
6. Note the group size and ages of the cheetahs as well as the behaviour you witness.
7. If you can take a picture, the most useful photos to assist in identifying individual cheetah include the tail and back legs. The face and the front side is also useful.  Mark the back of each picture with the date and the location, and your name and adress.

Send copies of your cheetah photos to:
Kenya Wildlife Service, Mara Cheetah Project
PO Box 40241 Nairobi, Kenya

For further information about sponsoring, contact us on:
tina@basecampexplorer.com